The present invention generally relates to fastening devices for securing fishing reels to fishing rods and, more particularly, to an improved fishing rod foregrip and reel securement assembly. In this regard, an important aspect of the present invention concerns a unique fishing rod foregrip and reel locking assembly which is free of any awkward protrusions as well as any exposed threads, which assembly is characterized by a foregrip that is both attractive in appearance and comfortable to use as well as a reel securement device which resists loosening during use.
Conventional fishing rods commonly include a handle portion having a generally elongated body from which a rod blank axially extends. Typically, the handle portion includes an aft grip, a pair of reel flange engaging members, at least one of which is movable, and a foregrip. While the reel flange engaging members are usually held in place by a locking nut, it is not uncommon for such flange engaging members to become loose during use by reason of movement of the locking nut. Additionally, these conventional arrangements have been characterized by undesirable exposed threads on the main handle body which, among other things, are uncomfortable to the user during a casting and line retrieval operation.
Various efforts to overcome the foregoing disadvantages have been proposed in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,045,902 describes a reel fastening device which utilizes an aft flange engaging member in the form of a fixed hood and a forward reel flange engaging member in the form of a movable hood. The movable hood, however, is held in place by means of a fastening collar which is threadedly mounted to the handle portion of the fishing rod. This arrangement is not fully satisfactory in that it does not adequately resist loosening forces and also is characterized by a substantial number of exposed threads on the main handle body.
One prior art effort to overcome the presence of exposed threads on the handle body of a fishing rod is reflected in U.S. Pat. No. 3,883,978 which utilizes a plurality of overlapping sleeves and covers. As such, this prior art arrangement is characterized by a rod handle which is not only complex in construction, but which also significantly restricts the length to which the rod blank can be inserted into the elongated handle body, a disadvantage which is particularly serious to the custom rod maker.
The present invention overcomes the above-described disadvantages of heretofore known fishing rod handle constructions by providing an improved combination foregrip and reel securement assembly wherein the foregrip is of streamlined, tubular construction and is threadedly secured to a section of the rod handle which is immediately forward of the reel seat. The reel securement component of this assembly is, in a preferred embodiment, rotatably secured to the foregrip and cooperates with the foregrip to clampingly engage the forwardly extending flange of a reel foot in a manner by which all threads on the rod handle are concealed. As such, the foregrip and reel securement assembly of the present invention is characterized by a streamlined appearance, free of any awkward protrusions, wherein the threaded portion of the rod handle is fully concealed when a fishing reel is mounted to the rod and secured thereto by such assembly.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved fastening device which overcomes the deficiencies of heretofore known fishing rod handle constructions.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a unique combination foregrip and reel securement assembly which is characterized by a streamlined configuration that is comfortable to use during both casting and line retrieval operations.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved reel securement device for a fishing rod which resists loosening during use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved combination foregrip and reel securement assembly wherein at least substantially all of the threads on the rod handle are concealed in use and which, at the same time, affords so-called through rod construction, enabling the rod blank to extend throughout the continuous length of the fishing rod handle.
These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which identical numerals designate like elements wherein: